OCR Text |
Show I WHAT DOES I YOUR WOMANHOOD I TELL YOU? I -Listen to this," the Clubwoman M observed as tho Old Maid dropped into an e0ly chalr on the p,azz-a" M And then tho Clubwoman read: "I desire to be bo pure In heart as to H be worthy of tho best that lovo may jive mo and to give tho best that love may require of me. I desire to serve my beloved In every way that, will Inspire him and lift him to high- cr j0y and peace and power. I desire to cherish the aspirations of his soul and to Imbuo him with tho assuranco that Wo Is worth oil Its efforts and I all Its pain. I desire to bo Instruct I ed of him in tho understanding of life and to Bit and listen and learn, to be guided aright, and to lean on h,3 strength and to give him strongth H to lean upon." H 'Some engaged girl's 'symphony' H or 'creed,' I suppose,' sniffed tho Old H Maid. "I should say she Is going to H make a doormat of herself." H "No," smiled tho Cluub woman. "It I Is a magazine article I was reading ,hen you came, called Tho Dictates H of Womanhood." H "It's all very fine on paper," scoff- H ed the Old Maid. "But any woman who did that sort of thing would H toon make her husband a tyrant." H -it would depend upon tho hus-H hus-H band, I think'" observed tho Clubwo-H Clubwo-H man! "Some men would find a tre-H tre-H mendous Inspiration In a wife like I tiat-" ,. . , H "And some man whoso wife took ,n attitude like that," retorted tho H Old Maid, "would grow chesty and H become unbearable. I think most men H viould Tho man who would And H inspiration in a wife llko that would not need tho inspiration. He'd have It in himself." "I don't know," objected tho Club-woman. Club-woman. "Such a faith In him as that would lift some men to accomplish ment. And besides I do not think tho effect on tho man Is so Important after af-ter all. I think tho effect on tho woman wo-man of a creed like that Is what would count tho most." "It would make a doormat of her, as I said. Think of sitting and listening listen-ing and learning," scoffed tho Old Maid, "especially at the feet of some men. What a good many wives have to do, and what a good many morq ought to do, is to get up and hustlo and keep their eyes open and direct their husbands. If all wives took tho sitting and listening and learning, role there's many a family would be In the poorhouse. I think tho girl who goes Into mnrrlago with the ideas of your credo In her head wiy bo woefully disappointed. She wants common sense and not creeds." "I am not so sure of that," obstinately obstin-ately persisted tho Clubwoman. "Sitting "Sit-ting and listening and learning may bo taken In more ways than ono. Tho writer says also, 'I desire to servo my boloved In every wny thnt will Inspire htm ami lift him to high er Joy and peaco and power.' Perhaps Per-haps sitting nnd listening and learn ing enables her to sco his weaknesses weakness-es and defocts nnd to glvo from her own storo what will lift him over these places. And tho spirit in whlcl) a wlfo supplements her husband means much. Tho woman who takes things Into her own hands when Bh( sees her husband's Inability, and becomes be-comes the 'boss' nnd runs thlngr. without regard to him, weakens him, belittles him In his own estimation, and often, in the course of time, makes him of' no account. But the wlfo who recognizes certain defects in her husband and supplements them in tho spirit of partnership, where each works for the good of all heartens him instead of weakening him and makes him stronger In thoso things In which ho Is strong. She doesn't rob him of self respect because be-cause of thoso things which ho lacks. She gives him strength to lean upon." "Well, anyway," sidestepped tho Old Maid, "If that article Is on 'The Dictates of Womanhood,' I would like to seo ono on tho 'Dictates of Man hood. I would llko to seo tho masculine mascu-line attitude toward mnrrlago. I do not bellovo it would bo any doormat literature llko that." "I don't know," still contended tho Clubwoman. "I think If you would get a young man who Is about to be married to really express his attitude atti-tude toward marriage you would find ho had some rather high Ideals. I havo a notion that In their Inmost heart, men havo higher Ideals about homo and marriage than havo women." wo-men." Hut at this heresy, the Old Maid roso with a snort and dopartcd nnd tho Clubwoman returned to her nr- tides on tho 'Dictates of Woman hood." Barbara Hoyd. |